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Story: King Country places

Benneydale township

Audio file

Benneydale was a township purpose-built in 1940 to house the employees of the Mangapehi state coal mine. The mine was Benneydale’s reason for existence, so its closure after a fire in 1962 had a major, negative impact on the township. Listen to part of a 1983 radio documentary to hear more about the story behind Benneydale's name.

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Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Reference: 20685

Image: Alexander Turnbull Library, Whites Aviation Collection, WA-38581-F

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, King Country places – Benneydale, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/speech/34684/benneydale-township (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 6 December 2011, updated 1 March 2015.